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Cuba's inbound tourists jump by 14 percent in first quarter

Xinhua, May 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

Cuban tourism industry, the second biggest contributor of foreign currency to the island, grew by 14.2 percent during the first quarter of this year, the Cuban National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) has confirmed.

Between January and March, 1,136,948 tourists arrived in Cuba, an increase of 14.2 percent, said a report by ONEI, which confirmed the data previously released by the Ministry of Tourism.

This number of foreign visitors is completely unprecedented in the island, according to ONEI.

Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said that the island is going through an important moment regarding tourism, as shown by a hype in tourist activities in the country, with an increase in business demand.

In tune with the current political reality, the Cuban tourism industry is expected to keep growing.

Experts said Cuba could host between 3 and 3.5 million U.S. tourists a year, for which they must amplify their hotel infrastructure.

Several U.S. airlines, such as Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways, have shown interest in launching commercial flights to the island as soon as it is legally permitted. Endi